Newsletter – June 2020
Welcome to our June Newsletter. We have been busy, creating four Guidance documents for professional workers to try and remind them that there are Deaf people out there who depend on access to their services.
The first was for GPs, the second for Emergency teams, the third for Hospital managers, and finally the last for Social Care. We have had a good response from quite a few organisations and we very much hope that they have been distributing to their local networks. The GP one is on the website, and the other three will follow, hopefully this week, all with BSL translations. If you have a contact – GP, hospital, social services – please do send them a link and point them to the Guidance.
BSMHD has also been involved with the Best Practice for interpreters in Healthcare settings. See: https://asli.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Best-Practice-for-Booking-Interpreters-in-Healthcare-settings-during-Covid-19-FINAL.pdf
In March, we mentioned the Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) process. If you want to know more, especially how it relates to Deaf people, Jane Whitaker-Douglas specialises in this: bslpsychotherapyuk@icloud.com
This week is Men’s Health Week – and the focus is on Covid-19 and why men are twice more likely to die from this than women. For more information see: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/
One thing we all need to be aware of is domestic violence, which has increased dramatically during lockdown. The domestic abuse charity Refuge says that since lockdown began, there has been a 66% rise in demand for its National Domestic Abuse Helpline. We need to make sure Deaf people are aware of this as well.
Boots and Morrison’s have established ‘Safe Spaces’ (see https://www.boots-uk.com/our-stories/boots-pharmacy-consultation-rooms-become-safe-spaces-for-victims-of-domestic-abuse/). Boots reported 100 people used this in the first week.
The Police have a Silent-Solution – see: https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/research-learning/Silent_solution_guide.pdf
There’s also a new hand signal for videos that warns people that someone is experiencing domestic abuse: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGZdXsnMxR/?igshid=2uh0c4kppvrk
If you work for a charity, or know of a charity that needs help, there‘s a new initiative called furlonteer where charities are paired with skilled volunteers who are on furlough. Interested, have a look at this website: https://www.furlonteer.com/